


Le Chéile | Cuji Yuki (A Fantasy One-Shot)

by JBaggins



Category: Cuji Yuki, Fantasy - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:03:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9218105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JBaggins/pseuds/JBaggins
Summary: A tale of love lost, and love found, between the Gay Sky Academy's OTP.  Yes, I really wrote this mess!





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My best boy Cu](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+best+boy+Cu).



> Well, this is probably the most bizarre thing I've ever written, it's your average fantasy story with romance and action, but it's weird since... Well, Cu's a friend of mine! Well, technically this is Cu's avatar here, so s'all good, I think?
> 
> Whatever, I wanted to write more this year, and when Cu mentioned fan fictions, this seemed like a good place to start, so you asked for pal, look what you have wrought!
> 
> Listen to a lot of Celtic music while writing this, which you'll be able to tell in the second half. Well, without further adieu, enjoy this bizarre tale!

The cool air of a spring night hung over the small village of Zestorina, doors begin to shut close one-by-one, Zestorina’s constant trouble from a roaming group of bandits having hardened the once friendly village.  A band of adventures walk through its cobblestone paths, the four spent the morning on the hunt for the bandits, though all they managed to come across was the giant toads that frequently pestered local farmhands, nothing to write home about, but they were weary regardless.  Through the light blue night that hung over the village, a warm light shone just ahead of the party, the local inn was just a few short steps away.  They quickly entered and booked their rooms for the night from the gruff looking innkeeper, while three members of the party decided to sleep away their unsuccessful mission, the fourth member elected to have a drink and watch the local bard before heading to his room.

The party member was a Canis Humanis, a humanoid race that have noticeable canine features, such as dog-like ears or tails.  His name Cuchallain, named after a rather notable folk hero from his home, though most called the young man Cu for short.  Cu made his way into the dining hall of the inn, candles sat in the middle of each of the roundtables, illuminating the room with a warm orange glow, though the red curtain of the stage was brightly lit by torches on either side.  There were other folks, commoners Cu reckoned by their attire, murmuring in excitement about the bard. 

“He’s really quite good!”

 “We were here, bout a fortnight ago, he’s very charming!”

“Heard he’s from the capital!”

Cu’s ears twitched at that, he once knew a young man training to become a bard when he lived in the capital city of Hope’s Valley.  The two grew close, they lived in the same district and did almost everything together.  Cu often found himself irritated with the boy in the beginning, though he soon discovered those feelings were false, that he cared more deeply than he’d realized.  Before his memories could flood back, a lute began to strum and the crowd’s whispers fell silent.  The curtain swung open, the small group of villagers applauded, and Cu’s eyes widened in shock.  There on stage stood the bard, a young elf by the name Kaji, the very same bard Cu knew years ago.  Their eyes locked, Kaji’s smile turned to a look of surprise, but quickly back into a smile.  Ever the professional, Kaji addressed the crowd and with his musical companion’s nod, began his show.

The one man play went off without a hitch, Kaji titled the show “Orange Autumn Stroll”, a romantic piece that the villagers adored and gave a standing ovation.  Cu sat in silence, noting that many pieces of the play Kaji performed seemed too familiar to be coincidence.  He felt guilty, and stood up to leave.

“Cu.”

He stopped dead in his tracks, and with a deep breath, turned around to see Kaji.  The elf was smiling, though there was a hint of sadness just behind his eyes.  He was of average height, with styled black hair, as handsome as one would expect of a bard.  “Kaji.” Cu replied, unable to find any words that might make this situation less uncomfortable.  “I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Kaji spoke, sitting down at the table Cu tried to escape from, “but I’m guessing you weren’t expecting me either.”

Cu took a deep breath, shook his head slightly, and sat back down.  The townsfolk were leaving the dining room and heading back to their homes for the night, leaving Cu & Kaji alone by the candle light.  A moment of silence hung in the air around them, they made eye contact for a brief moment, before looking away.  Finally, Kaji cut through the silence.

“You can at least tell me why.”

“The king requested us to move out imm—“

“You could have said no.”

“To the _king_?”

“For me, Cu!  For _us_.”

Another silence, Kaji was kind and bubbly more often than not, but tonight he was bitter.  Bittersweet, he was happy to see his former partner, but hated him for abandoning him for a life of adventure.

“Kaji, we would have had to part regardless.”

“Why?”

“You’re a bard, I’m knight, our paths don’t line up.”

Kaji slammed his fist down on the table, his eyes stung with tears.  “You never came back, you never even said goodbye, and you just left me with a crappy note!  I would’ve followed you anywhere!” he spat back, his words fell from his lips like they were try to escape.  He had thought about this night for years, what he would say, what he would do, but it was all Kaji could do not to fall apart.  Cu reached across the table and grasped Kaji’s hand.  “Kaji, I am so, _so_ sorry.” Cu’s eyes were honest, his voice confident, “I never wanted to hurt you, and it’s why I left without you.  I _knew_ you’d follow me, it’s been dangerous for me, if you had gotten hurt, if you… I would have died.”

Their eyes locked, and neither dared look away this time.  Years of nearly written letters, years of broken promises, their broken hearts on display by candlelight.  The elvish bard was the first to break eye contact, wiping a tear from his cheek.  He let out a small scoff, smiling weakly at Cu. 

“Do you… Do you remember when I asked you co-star with me for his majesty’s name day?”

“Of course, how could I forget, what was that play called again, Striike on… something?”

“Strike on Giants!”

“Yes, Strike on Giants!  You were so mad at me!”

“You wouldn’t wear the scarf!”

The two laughed at the memory of two young men pretending to fend of giants, while the king demanded a second half, though Kaji never could think of where to go with a sequel.  The pair talked into the night, drinking mead and sharing stories of tales past.  Neither wanted to ask if the other was tired, they didn’t want the night to end, because neither knew what tomorrow held in store.

_CRACK!_

Cu’s ears perked up, he stood up and reached for the hilt of his sword, eyes scanning the dimly lit room.  The mood changed in an instant, Kaji slowly rose to his feet, reaching over and grabbing the knight’s arm.  “Cu…” he mumbled hesitantly, Kaji didn’t hear the sound that sent Cu on edge, but their early years together clued him in that something was wrong.  He knew that face, when the local thugs would try to push Kaji around, Cu’s golden eyes shifted from human to hound in an instant.  Those eyes spoke more than Cu realized, in a language only Kaji understood.  “Wait here, I’ll be back.” Cu tried to leave but Kaji held his grip on his arm.  “Cu, don’t—“ Cu reached for Kaji’s shoulder, “Kaji, I’m coming back, I promise.”

Reluctantly, Kaji let go of Cu’s arm, and the hound made his way to the check-in desk.  The gruff looking inn keeper raised a brow at the Canis Humanis, “Something the matter?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest.  “My party, get them up, something’s going on!” Cu barked back, heading for the door.  “Hold on, what do—“ before the inn keeper could finish, a sickening crushing sound echoed through the air.  A cold chill ran down the hound’s spine, through the inns window a horrible shade of red flared up across the village, Zestorina was once again under siege.  “Get all the guests out now, I’ll hold em off!“ Cu hollered at the inn keeper, he ran for the door, but didn’t make it in time.

***

Blurry shades of red & brown filled the hound’s vision, he felt warm, and far to dizzy for comfort.  It took everything he had to sit up, his breathing was short and he was sore all over, and not in the fun way. Rising slowly to his feet, he blinked and strained his eyes until his vision returned, a loud ringing echoed through his ears, though he was sure he didn’t want to hear what was happening regardless.  The lobby was lit ablaze, the innkeeper missing, and hunk of debris laid by the stairs, scorched red with flames.  Cu wearily turned to look out the now collapsed wall of the inn, he could see his party already in the fray with the bandits.  They must have escaped through the window of the second story, though how his Halfling companion made the jump down was beyond him.  He took a few steps towards the bandits, when a horrible realization hit him like a troll with a club **.**

**Kaji.**

Cuchallain stumbled into the dining hall, shouting into the flames for his lovable bard, but no response came.  The knight internally prayed to his gods, and any gods that would listen, to keep Kaji safe as he shoved aside debris in his search.  He heard footsteps through the flames and turned, a faint smile across his lips as he hoped to see Kaji in the figure moving through fire & smoke.  Cu sniffed the air as the figure in the smoke approached, but his prayers remained unanswered, as the scent was unfamiliar.  Before he had time to process the situation, a shining hand axe twirled through the air towards him.  With a quick side step, Cu barely escaped its reach, the cold steel sliding across his cheek before colliding with the wooden walls of the inn.  A large muscle bound bandit emerged from the cloak of smoke, he stood a foot taller than our hero, clearly orcish by the freighting tusks in his mouth, his figure intimidating and unnerving.  Cu was in no position for a fight, he just barely survived catapult fire, any other man would have turned and fled.  But there was no real way out, and no one would take Cuchallain out without a fight, he had a namesake to live up too.  The two warriors charged forward, Cu unsheathing his blade as the bandit brandished an abnormally large axe.

A clash of steel echoed through the blazing hall, a battle weary warrior, sick with worry and dread for his lost partner was able to hold his own against the orcish brute, but it was no easy spar.  The bandit scored a vicious slice across Cu’s chest, the hound let out a pained scream before returning the favor with a quick horizontal swing of his blade which the orc attempted to dodge.  Taking a step back, the bandit stumbled over a cinder of wood from the broken tables, leaving him open for Cu to take the final blow.  With a shout that could pierce the heavens ,Cu charged forward, plunging his blade into the orc and crashing through the weakened wall of the inn, the two falling to the cobblestone streets outside.

The orc bandit lay defeated before Cuchallain, a small wave of victory washed over him, as he removed his blade from the beast’s chest.  Just as the weary man was about to stand up, he felt something sharp beneath his chin, his eyes glanced up to meet the gaze of a crazed looking bandit, he was covered in blood and looked like he was in a rather awful fight of his own.  The town itself was fighting back, Cu’s party was already ahead, chasing off the bandits.  This one was probably a straggler, left behind by his fellow thieves.  He lifted his sword, making Cu look up at him, there was not much reason left in the man by the look in his eyes.  “You **lost** , just go.” Cu growled at him, trying his best to intimidate him, though it was a fruitless attempt.  “Go where?  I’m as good as dead already, but so are you.” He replied, his voice was hoarse and weary.  Cu thought about a way to get out of this, he could try to swing at him, but the fool would plunge his sword into his throat as soon as he did.  Cu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and thought of that ridiculous bard.  After all those years apart, those years of nearly written letters, years of broken promises, he almost made right his deepest regret.

A sudden clanging sound rang out, causing Cu’s eyes to dart open and see a familiar face where the bandit once stood.  Kaji, standing there covered in wounds, mud, and blood, holding a broken off chair leg from the inn.  Cu leapt up to his feet, ignoring the sudden rush of pain from his injuries, and held Kaji tightly against him.  He almost wanted to cry, but he was too relieved that Kaji was alive in the first place.  The bard laughed and threw the lumber in his hand at the unconscious bandit, wrapping his arms around Cuchallain. “Still worried about me getting hurt, tough guy?” he remarked, getting a small laugh out of the battle worn knight.  The two held each other for what felt like a small lifetime, neither wanted to say a word or let go,  too worried that after all this time, after tonight’s event, they might lose the other all over again.  They held each other a short while longer, and as the sun rose up over the broken, but still standing village, the bard and knight faced a new dawn, together.


End file.
